


Should You Perish, Know That Your Sacrifice Will Not be Forgotten

by MyParamour



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Adamant Fortress, F/M, Oneshot, Smutty Cullen is Smutty
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-26
Updated: 2018-11-26
Packaged: 2019-08-29 14:10:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,035
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16745488
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MyParamour/pseuds/MyParamour
Summary: Because I can't get enough of Cullen Rutherford smut.





	Should You Perish, Know That Your Sacrifice Will Not be Forgotten

She kept guard as her companions jumped through the opening of the rift before she turned back, taking one last look at Stroud. He slashed at the demon, piercing it’s skin before it shrieked and one of its giant legs rose upward before slicing it’s way through his back. He gasped, and crumpled to the ground as the large claw slowly removed itself from his torso. He raised his head and his eyes landed upon hers.

“Go.”

The guilt she felt as she leapt through the opening was immeasurable. And as she turned to face the rift, a pang lodged itself in her chest. She threw her arm upward, and her hand burned as it sealed the rift shut.

She breathed deeply, knowing she was extraordinarily lucky that she’d made it out the other side.

“Inquisitor.”

She turned around and looked at Rylen, and she noticed that a silence had fallen on both the Inquisition forces and the remaining Grey Wardens. 

She tried to compose herself, and put her commanding face on. “Where is the dragon?”

Rylen sheathed his sword and she noticed that in doing so some of the blood was pushed towards the opening, and droplets fell onto the stone beside him. “It took off when you opened that rift.”

That was strange to her. She’d have thought that an archdemon would take every chance it got to wipe out the remaining Wardens, but it didn’t. She’d have to talk to her advisors about that later.

A nameless Grey Warden stepped forward. “What of Stroud?”

She bit her bottom lip, and she tasted a tinge of copper in her mouth before she answered. “He’s gone.” She gripped the handle of the dagger that had been given to her by her father which she always kept at her side as she continued. “He died a hero, saving us and allowing us to escape from the fade uninjured. He was a beacon for the Wardens and he didn’t let his fear sway him from his duty… unlike the rest of you.”

Her words appeared to hit home as every Warden in her vicinity refused to meet her gaze. Good.

Blackwall stepped forward, his armour covered in blood from the fighting. “And what of them? They will need to rebuild, and there are no senior wardens left.”

The Inquisitor stepped down from the ledge she’d emerged onto and she stared up at him. “They have _you_ , don’t they?”

His face pulled into a strange look before he removed that expression and tried his best to return a smile. “Aye.” He took a step closer, not wanting the others to hear his words. “But what do you want to do with them?”

She rubbed her right temple with her fingers as she tried to think what step to take. She could exile them, and they deserved no less for what they had done, not only today but for giving Corypheus the support he’d needed, but for following Clarel’s allowance of the needless slaughter of their own people. 

Or she could take them into her custody. Make them do the dirty work of the Inquisition. A part of her liked that idea, forcing them to do the thankless work that they might feel was beneath the stature of a Grey Warden.

Or she could work with them. As much as she didn’t like the idea, she knew that if the dragon was an archdemon, she couldn’t let them go. She’d need every chance she got to kill such a beast. She also didn’t want to let her anger cloud her judgement, causing her to regret making the wrong decision.

She squeezed the back of her neck with her hand before she turned towards the others.

“The Inquisition is willing to extend an offer to work together with the remaining Grey Wardens. We will help you rebuild as best we can and you will assist us in wiping out the rest of Corypheus’ army.”

She heard multiple exclamations of gratitude but she held her hand up to stop them.

“But there will be a caveat to this offer. The Wardens will follow our orders and if you step one foot out of line I will not hesitate to exile you all.”

She was done. She didn’t want to handle any more of this today as she turned back to Blackwall. “I cannot promise that I will be merciful if they wrong me again.”

He nodded, and left her side. She closed her eyes and squeezed them shut, trying to release some of the tension that she felt. When she opened them, she spotted Cullen looking down at her from the upper courtyard. 

She quickly made her way up the stairs and for the first time since they had professed their feelings for one another she didn’t worry about hiding their relationship from everyone else. She threw her arms around him and pulled him tightly against her. He didn’t hesitate to reciprocate and she felt his breath along her ear. “Thank the Maker you’re alright.”

He pulled away from the embrace and he held her chin up with his hand so she could look him in the eyes. She grasped his wrist and she leaned into his touch before she looked around and saw a door in the distance. “Come here.”

She gripped his hand tightly and she was relieved once she turned the door handle, finding it unlocked. Once Cullen stepped inside she shut the door behind them, closing the latch to secure their privacy. 

His gloved hand found its way to her cheek and he looked down at her lovingly. “Are you alright?”

She bit her lip again to stop the flood of emotions that were threatening to burst. “I…” She had trouble putting it into words. “I was so scared when we were falling, I thought I’d never see you again and I couldn’t -- I had to open that rift. But then we were in there and I didn’t know how we were going to get out. I thought I might’ve doomed us, Cullen.”

He leaned down and pressed his forehead against hers, “you didn’t.”

She let out a short laugh, “no. But Stroud is dead. And that’s my fault. There was a monster of a demon blocking our path out. Hawke offered to stay behind instead to fight it off but I couldn’t do that to Varric and I let my personal feelings get in the way of making that decision. I shouldn’t have done that.” She pulled away from him and walked into the centre of the room. “That wasn’t fair. She offered, maybe I should’ve… and now the Grey Wardens are missing an integral person from their ranks. I don’t know how I’m supposed to help them rebuild. I don’t know _anything_ about the Order, really.” She clasped her hands together and started pacing.

“And I offered to work together, even though I’m so _fucking angry_ at them for what they’ve done. Without them, Corypheus might not have grown as powerful as he is now. Without them they’d still have a fully-functioning Warden army and now they’re left with essentially scraps of what they should be, but I couldn’t let them go because of that damned dragon that might be an archdemon.”

Cullen stared at her, and she knew that her outburst made it so that he wasn’t sure how to respond to her. She stopped in place and gathered her breath. “I was so scared I’d never see you again. When Hawke offered to stay behind I felt relieved.”

He looked down at her, “did you?”

She frowned as she took a step closer to him. “I’m the Inquisitor, Cullen. At the end of the day this all falls on me. And when she offered to stay behind so we could escape, so _I_ could escape… I was relieved that it wasn’t me.” 

She reached up and ran her hand along his jaw. “That I’d be able to see you again. When I saw that demon standing there, well - I thought it would be me.”

“But it wasn’t.”

“But it wasn’t.” She tried her best but she couldn’t stop a tear from escaping and falling down her face. “I feel so guilty.”

He reached for her and pulled her into his chest. “Shh, don’t. Eleanor, I watched you fall. You all would have died had you not opened the fade. And Stroud knew what it means to be a Grey Warden.” He slid his hands to the sides of her face and made her look at him. “In war, victory. In peace, vigilence. In death ---”

“Sacrifice.”

He leaned down and placed a chaste kiss on her mouth. “All we have to do is keep going. Our successes will avenge him.” He kissed her again, “alright?”

She smiled up at him, “okay.”

She wanted to feel close to him. After the dreadful day of battle she wanted to have some reassurance that everything would be fine. She stood on her tiptoes and grabbed his lapels, pulling him down so their lips could meet once more. He responded in kind, and slid his arms around her, holding her close. She sighed at the feel of his armour pushing against her own and she opened her mouth to let out a breath. 

“Cullen.”

He licked his lips and his eyes darted behind her before he gently pushed her back until her thighs hit what she surmised to be a wooden desk that was sat in the corner of the room. Cullen gripped the bottom of her ass and hoisted her upward, placing her on the edge of the piece of furniture. He slid his hand into her hair and let out a groan when she spread her legs so their hips could meet. 

Her own hands flew to his pants and her familiarity with the fastenings made it easy for her to get them open. She slid her right hand down and cupped his dick in her hand. “Maker, Nora.”

He made to push her down as he quickly undid her own breeches before he slid them and her smalls down her legs, only managing to slip one of her feet out before she grew impatient and sat back up, pulling him in for another kiss. “I want you in me, Cullen. Please.”

He pushed his pants down just enough to expose himself before he ran his hand along his member, pumping himself for a few beats. With his free hand he scooched her bottom closer to the edge of the desk before he lined himself up and thrust into her. 

She whined at the sensation of him filling her and his hand flew back into her hair, tugging it. He latched his mouth to her neck and sucked _hard_ as he picked up his pace. Her breath came out in staccato beats, “Cullen, you feel so fucking good.”

He groaned as he slammed into her harder, his cock hitting the _exact_ spot she needed him to. She wanted to moan but her voice caught in her throat as she realized his bucking was causing the desk to bang against the wall. If anyone was standing near the doorway she knew they’d hear it, and the thought that they could be caught made her even wetter.

She reached her hand down her torso and touched her fingers to her clit. Her movement was noticed by Cullen and he looked down between them, his mouth falling open. “Oh, darling.” He watched her intently and between her fingers and the feeling of Cullen pumping in and out of her she came to her release in short order.

She rode the waves of her orgasm and Cullen fucked her in a frantic rhythm before he gasped and she felt him convulse inside of her.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him slowly as they both caught their breaths. Their eyes met and they both let out a laugh.

Cullen removed himself from her before doing up his breeches and helped her step back into hers. When she’d finished redoing her belt up he held his hand out to her. “Come on. We have work to do."

**Author's Note:**

> Forty years from now I'll still be searching for more Cullen Rutherford smut.


End file.
